Early opaque universe linked to galaxy scarcityA team of astronomers led by George Becker at the University of California, Riverside, has made a surprising discovery: 12.5 billion years ago, the most opaque place in the universe contained relatively little matter. (2018-08-14)

Why life on Earth first got bigSome of the earliest complex organisms on Earth -- possibly some of the earliest animals to exist -- got big not to compete for food, but to spread their offspring as far as possible. (2018-06-25)

Diamond dust shimmering around distant starsSome of the tiniest diamonds in the universe -- bits of crystalline carbon hundreds of thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand -- have been detected swirling around three infant star systems in the Milky Way. (2018-06-11)

Could a particle accelerator using laser-driven implosion become a reality?Scientists discovered a novel particle acceleration mechanism called 'Micro-bubble implosion,' in which super-high energy hydrogen ions (relativistic protons) are emitted at the moment when bubbles shrink to atomic size through the irradiation of hydrides with micron-sized spherical bubbles by ultraintense laser pulses. (2018-05-24)

Using the K computer, scientists predict exotic "di-Omega" particleBased on complex simulations of quantum chromodynamics performed using the K computer, one of the most powerful computers in the world, the HAL QCD Collaboration, made up of scientists from the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-based Science and the RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS) program, together with colleagues from a number of universities, have predicted a new type of (2018-05-24)

Ancient galaxy megamergersThe ALMA and APEX telescopes have peered deep into space -- back to the time when the universe was one tenth of its current age -- and witnessed the beginnings of gargantuan cosmic pileups: the impending collisions of young, starburst galaxies. (2018-04-25)

Astronomers witness galaxy megamergerUsing the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international team of scientists has uncovered a startlingly dense concentration of 14 galaxies that are poised to merge, forming the core of what will eventually become a colossal galaxy cluster. (2018-04-25)

Best Science Podcasts 2018

The Right To SpeakShould all speech, even the most offensive, be allowed on college campuses? And is hearing from those we deeply disagree with ... worth it? This hour, TED speakers explore the debate over free speech. Guests include recent college graduate Zachary Wood, political scientist Jeffrey Howard, novelist Elif Shafak, and journalist and author James Kirchick.

#486 VolcanoesThis week we're talking volcanoes. Because there are few things that fascinate us more than the amazing, unstoppable power of an erupting volcano. First, Jessica Johnson takes us through the latest activity from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii to help us understand what's happening with this headline-grabbing volcano. And Janine Krippner joins us to highlight some of the lesser-known volcanoes that can be found in the USA, the different kinds of eruptions we might one day see at them, and how damaging they have the potential to be. Related links: Kilauea status report at USGS A beginner's guide to Hawaii's otherworldly...